Skarn Monk Racial Levels

[Yogibear41]

So the 1st level Skarn monk substitution level lets its spine attack count as if it were an unarmed strike for class features including flurry of blows and increased damage. Does this allow a Skarn to make a more than one attack with its natural weapon(since they are usually limited to 1) other than just the extra attack(s) from flurry of blows?

Also would feats or magic items that increase a monks unarmed strike damage affect the spines too? Such as superior unarmed strike.

[malonkey1]

Does this allow a Skarn to make a more than one attack with its natural weapon(since they are usually limited to 1) other than just the extra attack(s) from flurry of blows?

No, I don't believe so.


Also would feats or magic items that increase a monks unarmed strike damage affect the spines too? Such as superior unarmed strike.

Should. If the effects specifically call out the unarmed strike, then they should affect the spines, since they're affected by Unarmed Strike.

[Darrin]

Does this allow a Skarn to make a more than one attack with its natural weapon(since they are usually limited to 1) other than just the extra attack(s) from flurry of blows?


For the purposes of Flurry, yes, a Skarn monk can switch freely between his spines for multiple attacks. Outside of Flurry, even though they have a set of spines on each arm, they are still limited to one attack per round.



Also would feats or magic items that increase a monks unarmed strike damage affect the spines too? Such as superior unarmed strike.

Yes, this should work, but you should be careful about "doubling up" damage increases, such as taking Improved Natural Attack (unarmed strike) and Improved Natural Attack (spines). Some DMs may balk at this. Personally, I don't see a problem with it, as the monk's unarmed strike is already underpowered, and I like to see melee get nice things every once in a while.

[Chronos]

It looks to me like a skarn with that substitution level is functionally not very different from a normal monk of any other race: Everything that the normal monk does with unarmed strikes, the skarn monk must do with his spines, instead (since he doesn't get the normal unarmed strike ability). Except that a skarn monk without the substitution level would be strictly better than this, since he could make unarmed strike attacks as normal and also add a secondary natural weapon attack. Unless there's some specific benefit to using the spines (and I can't see anything), you'd be a fool to take the first racial sub level.